Top Gun 3: Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The Meeting

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw scratched his neck nervously.

The light turned green and Rooster pushed on the gas pedal and the Ford Bronco rushed forward.

I wonder what he wants me for. Rooster thought.

The day before, Rooster had received an email from Solomon “Warlock” Gates saying to meet him and Beau “Cyclone” Simpson at two thirty the next day.

Maybe another mission like the last one, Rooster thought. I wonder if Phoenix or Hangman will be there.

Phoenix had been Rooster’s friend since his first mission, and they’d been close ever since.

Rooster had met Hangman on the first day at the Naval Academy. They had been enemies since then. Hangman was the cockiest person Rooster had known. He still was. But after his last mission, Rooster had become good friends with the arrogant pilot.

Or maybe Maverick, Rooster thought. Was that too much to hope for?

Rooster had never liked Maverick. Since he was in charge when Rooster’s father had died, Rooster partially blamed Maverick for the death. Then, when Rooster was at the Naval Academy, Maverick had caused him to stay at school for an extra four years. That was when Rooster’s dislike turned into loathing. But then, Maverick had chosen Rooster to go on the last mission and had saved his life. They had been solid friends ever since.

Maverick was also the best pilot Rooster knew. Anything Warlock and Cyclone threw at Rooster would be easier with Maverick’s help.

Rooster turned into the base. He showed his ID and drove on. He took a couple more turns and then parked the car. He hopped out of the Bronco and walked into the large building in front of him.

The air conditioning washed over Rooster’s face.

Again Rooster showed his ID. “I was told to meet Admirals Warlock and Cyclone.”

The woman sitting behind the desk gave him directions, and Rooster started walking. He took the elevator and then knocked on one of the doors.

“Enter,” a voice invited.

Rooster opened the door and walked in.

The first thing he saw was Warlock sitting with Cyclone.

NO WAY! Rooster thought as he looked at the others sitting in the large room.

Sitting in the other chairs were Maverick, Phoenix, and Hangman.

Maverick and Phoenix smiled. Hangman nodded, a cocky twinkle in his eyes.

Rooster took the empty seat in between Phoenix and Hangman.

“You were all called here for the same reason.” Warlock began.

Rooster, Maverick, Phoenix, and Hangman all nodded.

“We have a new mission,” Warlock said. “Do you remember your last task?”

The pilots nodded and Hangman scoffed as if to say, “yeah, because we’re all going to forget when we thought two pilots were dead, but then they came back.”

Cyclone glared at Hangman. “Well, the enemy is not very happy with that. They have now started sending jets to the United States. We have managed to destroy two aircraft sent toward us.”

“Now you must recruit several pilots to stop these enemies.”

“Each of you will recruit seven pilots. You will be squadron leaders. There are also four new squadrons for the Marines, and eight in the Air Force. This is the beginning of our defense for the country.”

“You are dismissed,” Warlock said.

Rooster, Maverick, Hangman, and Phoenix all stood up and started for the door.

When they made it out, Maverick put a hand on Rooster’s shoulder. “Do you want to help with the Mustang tomorrow?”

Rooster nodded. “See you then.”

Hangman looked at Maverick. “I might want to fly a P51 Mustang, too.”

Maverick gave Hangman a measuring look. “Tomorrow.”

Hangman grinned and nodded. “See you then, old man.”

Rooster followed Maverick and when they were outside, he placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Are you really going to let Hangman fly that thing?”

Maverick shrugged. "I’ll be in the back seat with a parachute on and he’ll have one too. If I need to, I’ll open the canopy and chuck him out of the plane before it crashes.”

Rooster laughed. “Now I kind of want him to screw up.”

Maverick cocked his eyebrow. “You didn’t before?” And with that, he turned and walked to his motorcycle. He kick-started the bike and pulled out of the parking lot.

Rooster climbed into his Bronco and followed suit.

Maverick rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed and popped his neck.

The clock on the wall said that it was seven thirty. If Rooster came at the normal time, he would be here in about a half hour.

Maverick walked into the kitchen and grabbed a few eggs from the fridge. He set a frying pan on the stove and cracked the eggs onto it.

As long as the eggs were cooking, Maverick decided he would read his book.

When the eggs were ready, he said grace and started eating them. He was soon done and went back to reading.

A knock came at the door.

“Come in!” Maverick called. He heard the door open and then close.

“What’re you reading?” Rooster asked.

“Above and Beyond by Keith Warren Lloyd,” Maverick said. “I’m rereading it.”

“What’s it about?” Hangman asked.

“Did he ride with you, Rooster?” Maverick asked, looking up for the first time.

Rooster nodded.

“Are you going to answer?” Hangman demanded impatiently.

“It’s about Frank Luke,” Maverick said.

“The World War One Arizona Balloon Buster?” Rooster asked. “How many times have you read that book?”

Maverick chuckled. “I lost count at four.”

“The only book I’ve read that many times is. . . yeah, I've never read a book that many times.” Hangman said.

Maverick shrugged, but Rooster, who was standing behind Hangman, was looking at the back of the latter’s head as if it were a Picasso painting and he didn’t know which way to look at it.

“Are you ready to put on the new propeller?” Maverick asked, getting to his feet.

“What?” Hangman said. “You never said that we were doing anything to the plane before flying it.”

“I kind of did,” Maverick answered. “I asked Rooster if he wanted to help on the Mustang.”

“Can I fly it before we do that?” Hangman asked hopefully.

“You might find that hard to do in the state it’s in,” Maverick said.

“Why do you say that?” Hangman demanded. “I can fly it in any state.”

“I’ll bet you that you can’t fly it today before we fix it,” Rooster said with a grin.

“How much?” Hangman demanded.

Rooster pulled out his wallet and counted out a couple of twenty-dollar bills and a ten. “Fifty dollars.”

“Deal,” Hangman said, shaking hands with Rooster.

The three of them walked out of Maverick’s house and into the connecting hangar.

The P51 Mustang’s silver paint shone, as did the red nose. The tail fin, however, was only half shining. Because the other half was ripped off.

“How did that happen?” Hangman asked disbelievingly.

“You don’t want to know,” Rooster said.

Maverick walked to the front of the hangar and pushed the door open. “Go ahead Hangman,” Maverick challenged. “Fly it.”

Hangman climbed on the wing of the plane and slid the canopy open. He climbed in as Maverick climbed into the back seat.

“No parachute?” Rooster asked.

“If he can get this thing in the air, I’m confident that he could land it without crashing.”

“That’s more confident than I am,” Rooster smirked.

“Watch and learn,” Hangman said as he slid the canopy closed.

After a moment, the plane was moving onto Maverick’s personal runway.

“Go ahead,” Maverick told Hangman through the headset he wore.

The plane roared down the runway and started bouncing, jumping off the runway, floating in the air for a few seconds, and then landing back down on the runway.

“Here we go,” Hangman declared.

The plane took the longest hop yet and then rose into the air.

It wasn’t long before Maverick and Hangman were thousands of feet above the ground.

Hangman laughed in triumph as he did a loop and then flew back down to the runway. He made a rough landing and skidded to a stop.

“Cough up Rooster!” Hangman called as Rooster walked toward them.

Rooster pulled out his wallet, shaking his head, and handed Hangman fifty dollars.

Hangman pulled out his own wallet and slipped the money in.

“Let’s fix it now,” Maverick said. He told Rooster and Hangman where the tools they would need were, and then he moved the Mustang into a better position.

After a few hours of hard work, the Mustang was in good condition. The tail had been fixed, and the tires had been replaced.

Suddenly, a fighter jet roared overhead.

“What’s that thing doing over here?” Hangman asked.

“I didn’t recognize it,” Rooster said.

“That’s because it’s a Chinese spy jet!” Maverick exclaimed.